Sawant’s remarks came as the party moved formally to protect its position in Parliament, writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urging that no claim for separate recognition, privileges or parliamentary status be entertained without strict scrutiny under constitutional provisions. The intervention followed claims that a group of Shiv Sena MPs was preparing to align with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a development that would intensify the factional battle that has shaped Maharashtra politics since the 2022 rebellion.
The letter sent to the Speaker argued that MPs elected under the Shiv Sena banner and symbol could not be treated as a separate parliamentary group merely on the basis of political assertion. Sawant, the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, said the Constitution and anti-defection framework must guide any decision rather than claims advanced outside the House. The party has asked the Speaker not to grant recognition to any breakaway bloc or allow a merger claim without following due process.
The immediate dispute centres on whether a group of MPs can secure recognition as a separate entity in the Lok Sabha. Reports have suggested that six of the nine Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MPs could move towards the Shinde camp, a figure politically significant because two-thirds support is central to claims framed around merger protection under the anti-defection regime. The Uddhav camp has contested the premise, saying no authenticated list has been placed before the party and no MP has formally communicated such a move.
Sawant’s response sought to shift the burden of proof onto those pushing the defection narrative. He asked critics to identify the MPs allegedly leaving the party and said the leadership remained intact. Party figures including Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai and Sawant appeared together in Delhi as the leadership tried to project unity and prevent speculation from becoming a political fact on the ground.
The controversy has revived memories of the 2022 Shiv Sena rupture, when Eknath Shinde’s rebellion split the party founded by Bal Thackeray and led to a change of government in Maharashtra. The Election Commission later recognised the Shinde-led faction as Shiv Sena and allotted the bow-and-arrow symbol to it, while Uddhav Thackeray’s group has operated as Shiv Sena with the flaming torch symbol. The dispute has remained politically active in courts, the legislature and Parliament.
For the Uddhav camp, any loss of MPs would carry symbolic weight beyond arithmetic. Shiv Sena won nine Lok Sabha seats from Maharashtra in 2024, performing strongly in parts of Mumbai, Konkan and Marathwada despite the party split and the loss of its original symbol. A breakaway by a sizeable section of MPs would allow the Shinde camp to argue that the parliamentary wing too has shifted decisively, while the Uddhav faction would portray it as a betrayal of voters who backed candidates under its name and leadership.
The anti-defection law, contained in the Tenth Schedule, disqualifies elected members who voluntarily give up party membership or defy party directions, subject to exceptions including merger provisions. The older protection for a one-third split was removed, making numbers and procedural compliance critical in any attempt to avoid disqualification. That is why the Speaker’s handling of any claim will be closely watched by both camps.
The Shinde faction, now part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, has an interest in consolidating its claim as the principal inheritor of the Shiv Sena legacy. The BJP-led alliance swept the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered heavy losses. Local body elections expected in the state have added urgency to efforts by both Sena factions to demonstrate organisational strength.
The Uddhav camp has accused its rivals of using pressure and inducements to weaken the party, while leaders aligned with the Shinde side have argued that many elected representatives are uncomfortable with the Thackeray faction’s alliance choices and want to return to the broader Sena fold. Sawant’s public denial is therefore also a message to wavering leaders: any move will be contested politically and legally.
